Quiroz selected for N.C. State scholar program
Ruben Quiroz of Mount Olive has been named a Goodnight Scholar at N.C. State University.
GOLDSBORO — A Wayne Community College graduate has been named a Goodnight Scholar at North Carolina State University.
Ruben Quiroz of Mount Olive is one of 50 students selected to join the Goodnight Scholars Program’s transfer class of 2026. He will begin his studies at N.C. State in the 2023-2024 academic year. The program is designed to develop scholars into leaders within the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and/or education fields.
Quiroz is a two-time honors graduate of WCC, earning an Associate in Arts in 2018 and an Associate in Science in 2021. He is also a 2020 graduate of the two-year radiography program at Johnston Community College.
He continued his studies at WCC after earning his second degree, taking additional math and science courses to be a competitive candidate for a university program. While at WCC, he participated in and completed the Scholars of Global Distinction program.
Quiroz worked at Sampson Regional Medical Center in Clinton after earning his radiography degree from JCC. While there, he realized his passion for medicine, solidifying his decision to further his education. He plans to major in Biological Sciences at N.C. State with a concentration in human biology.
“I told myself if I never try, I’ll never know. No matter how long or hard the journey seems, I’m going to try. And I know if I have the courage to dream big and pursue that dream with discipline, I will one day become a doctor,” Quiroz said.
The Goodnight Scholarship is valued at $23,000 per year for up to three years for transfer students. The cohorts receive access to a comprehensive student development program that includes weekly programming, exclusive travel opportunities and enrichment grant funding.
The new Goodnight Scholars participated in a selection process that included an application and interview with a volunteer committee consisting of current and former N.C. State faculty, staff and alumni, as well as industry representatives from SAS. To be accepted into the program, members of the class of 2026 had to demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in their community college careers including stellar academic achievement, memberships in national honors societies and involvement in student organizations.
Quiroz is the fourth WCC graduate to be accepted into the Goodnight Scholars transfer program. He follows Estefani Cota, Alex Ambriz-Huerta and Viviana Ponce.
The Goodnight Scholars Program, funded by a gift from Dr. Jim and Ann Goodnight, began in 2008. The program provides a scholarship and comprehensive developmental programming to low and middle-income students from North Carolina. It is limited to students studying in the STEM disciplines or affiliated education majors.
— From Wayne Community College
